Download a ...coffee replacement, really!
December 5, 2006
Which brainwave?
After months and after the huge success of my Coffee Replacement [more than 80.000 downloads], it is time to create the next brainwave. And this post is an invitation to everyone to participate in this poll, giving me your preferences for the brainwave you want to see here!
Thank you in advance!
LATEST UPDATE:
New mirror added just for the WAV file, here.
Stay tuned!
First, let's make an introduction, so everybody knows the same information:
Our brain is made up of billions of brain cells called neurons, which use electricity to communicate with each other.
The combination of millions of neurons sending signals at once produces an enormous amount of electrical activity in the brain, which can be detected using sensitive medical equipment (such as an EEG), measuring electricity levels over areas of the scalp.
The combination of electrical activity of the brain is commonly called a BrainWave pattern, because of its cyclic, "wave-like" nature.
With the discovery of brainwaves came the discovery that electrical activity in the brain will change depending on what the person is doing.
For instance, the brainwaves of a sleeping person are vastly different than the brainwaves of someone wide awake.
Over the years, more sensitive equipment has brought us closer to figuring out exactly what brainwaves represent and with that, what they mean about a person's health and state of mind.
Brainwave Entrainment refers to the brain's electrical response to rhythmic sensory stimulation, such as pulses of sound or light.
When the brain is given a stimulus, through the ears, eyes or other senses, it emits an electrical charge in response, called a Cortical Evoked Response. These electrical responses travel throughout the brain to become what you "see and hear". This activity can be measured using sensitive electrodes attached to the scalp.
When the brain is presented with a rhythmic stimulus, such as a drum beat for example, the rhythm is reproduced in the brain in the form of these electrical impulses. If the rhythm becomes fast and consistent enough, it can start to resemble the natural internal rhythms of the brain, called brainwaves. When this happens, the brain responds by synchronizing its own electric cycles to the same rhythm.
This is commonly called the Frequency Following Response (or FFR):
FFR can be useful because brainwaves are very much related to mental state.
For example, a 4 Hz brainwave is associated with sleep, so a 4 Hz sound pattern would help reproduce the sleep state in your brain.
The same concept can be applied to nearly all mental states, including concentration, creativity and many others.
It can even act as a gateway to exotic or extraordinary experiences, such as deep meditation or "lucid dreaming" type states.
Brainwave Entrainment's usefulness is not limited to relaxation and enhancing academic performance. It can also be used for reducing headaches, insomnia, stress and even enhancing athletic performance.
You got it now?
It's easy enough even that we have to do with some scientific terminology :-)
I use brainwaves from time to time especially these heavy-busy days and I have to admit that the effects on myself is more than obvious.
I created and I'm posting here a 20 minutes duration brainwave file [in MP3 format] that I called "Coffee Replacement" because of its feature to keep you in an energizing state giving you a "caffeine" energetic boost.
Use this session when you wake up in the morning or when you need a boost of energy.
You do not have to close your eyes for this session, in fact it may be beneficial not too.
I listen this brainwave every morning I can't wake-up as fresh as i want :-)
Some tips to enjoy this brainwave listening:
1. It is important to listen to this using stereo headphones
2. Don't activate music-looping on your media player or your MP3 player.
3. Adjust the volume to a comfortable level
Are you ready to feel the caffeine in your ...ears?
More info
- About Brainwaves
- Brainwave Entrainment
- A Brief History
- NeuroProgrammer
- Brainwaves Generator
WARNING!
The following people should not use brain entrainment:
> People subject to any forms of seizures or epilepsy
> People using pacemakers
> People suffering from cardiac arrhythmia or other heart disorders
> People taking stimulants, psychoactive drugs, or tranquilizers
Comments
#1 Brilliant, brilliant stuff
Brilliant, brilliant stuff here!
I just discovered you blog via Technorati and really it's rocks!
Keep up teasing as with quality posts.
#2 I completely believed this
I completely believed this wouldnt work, but all i can say is WOW.. feels like its messing with my head though.. brought back old trips..
#3 Is this brainwave sound can
Is this brainwave sound can use for the bird to make their relax too ?
My friend who have a little knowledge about brainwave said that bird and human have different frequency to heard this sound, so this brainwave for human is not affect to the bird. Is my friend opinion is true ?
best regards
Reza
#4 Spoooooky
Spoooooky ;-)
#5 I am using bwgen for 1 year
I am using bwgen for 1 year now, it works perfectly, I am studying and the alpha mode for the brain let me put hard information to my head easily! I am also using it as coffee replacement sometimes...
#6 Check out:
Check out: http://www.brain-trainer.com. A great resource on neurofeedback.
#7 Howdy, excellent idea! I had
Howdy, excellent idea! I had used binaural tracks to focus and concentrate while coding before (well, once or twice, some time ago) but never considered trying it out for helping me get going in the morning. It usually takes me about 3 hours to get the "brain fog" cleared so some binaural therapy might be well worth trying.
Just a quick note on the track you kindly provided - at least on my system and my phone, the left and right channels appear to have been mixed a bit - I can hear the beats in both ears separately (when listening to one channel the beat should not be evident). This causes the effect to be diminished, or possibly lost entirely, depending I guess on the level of mixing. It could be the software I'm playing it with but I did use two entirely different devices.
My guess is that the mp3 encoding used might have blended the left and right together a bit (tends to be the default for most mp3 encoders).
#8 Trying it right now, and
Trying it right now, and wondering:
Coulnd't you turn the concept around and make a relaxing 20minutes track to listen before trying to sleep, to help calm the brain..?
#9 Just play the sound
Just play the sound backwards.
#10 pzizz ftw!
pzizz ftw!
#11 Sorry, but this did not work
Sorry, but this did not work at all for me.
I was pretty tired/sleepy at 9:15pm and I decided to listen to this before I went to work out. After 20 minutes, I could still go to sleep right now, plus I had a hard time staying awake during the whole thing.
#12 If this original sound was
If this original sound was recording in say a wave file, does encoding it into an MP3 compress it and change the frequencies a bit?
I remember the mosquito sound that supposedly repelled young adults from standing around in front of a store. The sound you could download but the wave file sounded diffrent from the mp3. Maybe I'm just nuts. In that case just ignore this comment :D.
cheers! And crazy find!
#13 Maybe you are right about
Maybe you are right about the mp3 compression!
I made a sound analysis and found some minor differentiations between the 2 files...
I'll post very soon the original WAV file...
#14 I'd create a torrent with
I'd create a torrent with that wav file. I'm downloading right now and it's only 30kB/s - it must have been a lot slower when your post hit digg.com... wav file will be a lot larger.
#15 I'll look forward to it then
I'll look forward to it then :).
#16 Listening to it right
Listening to it right now.... and it makes me feel...twitchy... I like I should be running or something.
#17 its defintely making my legs
its defintely making my legs twitchy...could you play this during a run and have it simulate a heap of caffine?
#18 Heads Up: It sounds like
Heads Up:
It sounds like Birds + Construction crew outside your house.
I don't feel any more lively, with caffeine you can feel the boost - but I don't feel any immediate response with this - perhaps I have to listen to the entire 20 minutes.
#19 Ummm, well that was
Ummm, well that was interesting. It's certainly made me look a bit more into these binaural sounds. I do feel a lot more awake now, but that could just be because I had it up too loud.
Anyway, thanks for that, very interesting.
#20 That was quite interesting.
That was quite interesting. As soon as it started playing, my legs felt fairly energetic. That may be a placebo effect though, I'd be curious to know if it had the same effect on people who didn't know the purpose of the audio file.
#21 I'm thinking that a lot of
I'm thinking that a lot of this is placebo effect. There are a zillion sites out there that describe this sort of thing, but it follows that without objective, lab-based testing by people with NO financial gain at stake, it's one of those things that is as good or as bad as you want it to be.
Sort of like Microsoft funding a study that magically concludes that Windows is better than Linux. Sorry, but that doesn't really pass the sniff test. That's not to say that there isn't something to audio stimuli affecting us, just that it's a very subjective thing. Upbeat, rockin' music is a sure way for me to step up my mood a bit, but that doesn't hold true for everyone - or even me all the time - some find the same in classical music. It comes down to what you find "stimulating" personally more than over-analyzing brain interaction and saying what this file will or won't do for someone.
And the disclaimers are just plain whacked... epilepsy, perhaps, but heart conditions? Pacemakers? Stimulant medications? Hell, caffeine itself qualifies if that's the case... better not listen while drinking that Coke or you might die - then want to file a lawsuit from the great beyond! Seems to me like just another way to hype the "potency" of the audio file. Neutral, scientific data from a respectable source that's not trying to sell me something, please. Otherwise, it's just another disguised infomercial. When doctors (physicians... like at the Mayo Clinic) start prescribing it and insurance starts paying for it, then it's scientifically and medically accepted. Until then, it's accupunture and aromatherapy type of fodder. Make of it what you will.
#22 Sounds a lot like Pzizz. In
Sounds a lot like Pzizz. In fact, I almost thought talking about 'Brainwave" would bring me to someone giving away a Pzizz MP3.
Pzizz is a program that generates stuff like this (it calls them "naps"), albeit it costs money... but after buying it, and hearing this MP3, I'm kind of glad I made the choice to buy it. ;) I couldn't live a day without my daily Pzizzing. I've even got my family hooked on it - these types of things are great in the middle of the day, though late at night they just make me feel even more tired, and I end up sleeping.
And to the Anonymous above me, learn a little about frequencies and waves. Take a basic physics class, perhaps. You'll figure out why these sounds, even if they sound like birds or a beach, actually work. You see, in the background, several frequencies are being played - I don't know the details of this, but my best guess would be that they try to match the frequencies generated by your brain while it's in sleep (yes, your brain has a frequency). It's probably similar to finding a harmonic on a string - actually, a better example would probably be a harmonic in a closed tube. It basically becomes a stimulus for the brain, making it think that it's about to go to sleep when it really isn't. Sure, you could stay awake, probably easily, but you can also stay up all night, can't you? ;)
#23 Hi there, I'm listening to
Hi there, I'm listening to this right now and for some reason it's working!
Obviously people could argue the placebo effect (above) but it seems to be making me feel more awake and alert. I've had one coffee this morning though, but it didn't seem to take much effect.
Unless this thing is boosting the effects? Not sure, but great stuff none the less!
#24 good post.. i'm working on a
good post.. i'm working on a italian translation of your post. can i host the mp3 file on my server or not'?
#25 Hi Vibes! Yes you can host
Hi Vibes!
Yes you can host the file and the translation of this post.
Just put a link here, pls.
#26 Great... i mean... just
Great... i mean... just great.
#27 A like it, keep it going
A like it, keep it going
#28 I'm not sure if this is
I'm not sure if this is actually caffeine in a sound wave or if it is more of a focusing technique such as meditation. Meditation can also make you alert and ready to hit the bricks.
We are also pattern based creatures so I am going to surmise that it is more or less about the rythm to our mind and not the wave to the brain. Very cool though.
But whats with the birds? They were obviously not generated as a part of the brainwave study :)
#29 Wow this is amazing I just
Wow this is amazing I just found it on Digg! Very cool the only thing that I'm wondering about is if you have to listen to the whole 20 min or would like 10 min have an effect?
#30 I'm surprised you failed to
I'm surprised you failed to mention exactly how this works; in that a stereo file's left and right channels are offset by a particular frequency in which the brain decodes and extracts.
To skeptics, I can assure you that this technoloy is real, and is most often used for REM sleep, out of body experiences, and lucid dreaming.
I studied this technology for nearly a year, as it was exciting to me at the time (5 years ago).
#31 how do i download the file
how do i download the file to my computer?
#32 Just right click and save as
Just right click and save as here
#33 I'm thinking it's a placebo.
I'm thinking it's a placebo. I feel a little weird, but i think thats cuz im expecting it.
#34 Skinny Puppy, Brian Enos,
Skinny Puppy, Brian Enos, Nine Inch Nails, Juno Reactor, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis? Drugs, synthesizers, and time to kill. Listen to "The Prime Time of your life." by Daft Punk, it has similar sine waves oscillating like some industrial machinery moving it's parts in a loop. I do not have all the facts, but do believe that if this was broadcast over the radio some people may find it highly addictive and useful.
#35 Well I have to say this is
Well I have to say this is very interesting, although I don't think it works for me. I listened to it for about three minutes and I started feeling sort of spastic and generally wigging out. I'm ADHD, do you think that makes a difference?
#36 I can't hear a thing? Oh,
I can't hear a thing? Oh, sound card removed. :)
#37 One commenter said he'd like
One commenter said he'd like to see more scientific studies done on this kind of stuff.
The next guy said "take a class" as if it's a foregone conclusion.
Does anyone have any links to scientific studies that actually look into this?
Otherwise I've also got a tin of Placeebo Wonder Pills that I can sell you for $19.95. It cures all kinds of things, and wakes you up, too!
#38 Hi, You should change the
Hi, You should change the color of the Warning Message. The red letters can't be read clearly on the gray background.
#39 Interesting...probably
Interesting...probably shouldn't have listened to it right now though, cuz I just got out of work (3rd shifter) and need to go to sleep soon. It also drove my cat nuts before I plugged in my headphones (ears perked, looking around for source of sound, got up from snoozing next to me), don't know exact reason, could have just been the birds instead of actually a frequency thing.
#40 Interesting idea and sounds.
Interesting idea and sounds. Like other posters, i'm not sure whether the placebo effect is being shown here. I do feel quite awake and into my work now. I'll try it tomorrow morning before work. that will prove whether it works or not.
#41 The sounds sound quite
The sounds sound quite spooky and scary, could not listen to it, as it made me feel uneasy, but suppose that is what it is supposed to do?
#42 Man, I needed this today.
Man, I needed this today. I've played around with SBAGEN, but never bothered to make as long and complex a file as this one. Thanks!
#43 Omg! the oscillating low
Omg! the oscillating low pitch is driving me nuts.
#44 Hi all, Just a heads up that
Hi all,
Just a heads up that the scientific research on this technique (Binaural beats) is sketchy at best. I was excited a while ago when I first encountered the phenomenon, but after researching quite extensively (I thought of taking up the topic for my masters research), I could only find two truly scientific studies, even then both poorly done, that supported any measurable psychological effects. Furthermore, consultation with colleagues in auditory perception yielded the opinion that entrainment due to binaural beats would not be unique; that is, any periodic stimulation to the perceptual system will likely produce analogous activity rhythms in the brain.
Then again, we know the placebo effect can be huge, so beat away!
Mike
#45 Hey! I'm a Mac user (no
Hey! I'm a Mac user (no right click). How do I download this file?
#46 Haven't had the mac long,
Haven't had the mac long, eh? ;-) Right click on a Mac is "Ctrl + left mousebutton" to get the same menu choices. Better still is go get a 5 button Microsoft mouse to replace the Mac mouse. You'll wonder how you lived without it.
#47 Actually, been a Mac user
Actually, been a Mac user for about 19 years. First machine was Mac Classic. However, I'm also a drunk -- most of the keys on my keyboard no longer work. But, thanks for being snarky!
#48 actually, neurons do not
actually, neurons do not communicate using electricity. they communicate using neurotransmitters, which are chemicals. to send a message from the soma (neuron's cell body) to the terminal buttons on the other end of the neuron, an electrical charge flows down the myelin-covered axon. but electrical impulses are not sent between neurons.
#49 And even then the majority
And even then the majority of neurons in the brain do not have any myelin coating down the axon and the "charge" is taken stepwise through the entire length by the transition of sodium, potassium, and chlorine molecules.
Gotta love ions pumps in the brain.
#50 Wow! At around 7 minutes
Wow! At around 7 minutes into the sound I started feeling the twitchy leg thing that others reported. Placebo or not, I'm finding it oddly stimulating. This sucker is going on my iPod.
Thanks for making this available!!!
Post new comment